"I Love Saang Day"

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We at In His Steps love Saang (a rural area in Kandal province where much of our ministry takes place). We want the people of Saang to know that we are not an isolated "Christian club" that meets on Sundays: our staff and the people we reach are members of the community with a heart to serve and bless those around them. That's why we recently held "I Love Saang Cleanup Day". 

On a sunny Saturday morning, we met to pick up trash and tidy up local streets. By 8 a.m. it was already scorching hot, but our Center was packed with young people and IHSI staff who had come to participate. After prayer and pep-talks from Eric and one of the commune leaders, we distributed supplies (bottles of water, gloves, face masks, garbage bags) and got to work! Divided into teams, over 200 people streamed out of the Center in different directions, targeting specific areas around the neighborhood.

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Candy wrappers, shreds of cast-off rags, plastic bags, and more were cleared out from roadside ditches, shrubs, and even the dusty local volleyball court! There are no public garbage cans or dumpsters of any kind out in rural areas like Saang , so trash accumulates anywhere and everywhere. By the time each team was finished in their designated area, numerous bags of garbage were filled with no room to spare!

It was great to see local children and youth so eager to serve. Parents and neighbors were quick to voice their appreciation, and many were impressed that we are teaching kids about being responsible and giving back to their community. The local government was also very encouraging and seemed to appreciate our efforts.

Jesus always remembered to bless and care for others in practical ways, and it is this example that In His Steps is following. Please pray with us that hearts in the Saang community would be touched as we seek to serve as he did. ​

Celebrating Children

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In case you didn’t know, June 1st was International Children’s Day. To celebrate, In His Steps held a two-hour Children’s Day program at our Center in Saang and invited all the neighborhood kids to come and join us in a time of fun and learning. Teacher Solomon did a great job preparing children from our Saturday children’s classes for various roles as MCs, dancers, and actors. They were all very dedicated, faithfully attending practices and helping to decorate the grounds and “stage” beforehand! The whole event was truly a group effort, with church members and In His Steps staff pitching in as well.

Over 400 people attended, and for some it was standing room only! We were glad to see not only children but also some parents and local government leaders come and watch the performances. At In His Steps, we believe that building relationships with leaders and families is a key to community transformation.

During the program, Loaves and Fish director Vouen gave a short presentation on children’s rights. For some, the idea that they have to right to be protected from child labor and abuse is a foreign concept that runs contrary to what they see at home every day. Hopefully, hearts and behavior will start to change as people recognize the worth of children as blessings from God.

Despite some backstage jitters, the kids all did a wonderful job in every aspect of the program. Many in the audience stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed as their peers performed fun dances, a comedic drama, and more. What a great opportunity to showcase the talent and enthusiasm of children in Saang! Most importantly, the message that children are valuable and have rights was communicated in a fun and memorable way. Please pray with us that God confirms in each child's heart how much he values and cares about them. 

Merry Christmas 2009!

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Merry Christmas! We hope you have a great holiday with family and loved ones. Here in Cambodia, we celebrate a little differently than in the West, since most Cambodians do not even know the meaning of Christmas. We feel that this time of year is a great opportunity to bless the communities we are in and teach the true significance of Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ.

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This past Sunday, we held a Christmas program at our Saang Foundation Center. The program began in prayer by Pastor Pheaktra, and was MC’d by Solomon (one of our staff teachers) and a young woman from our youth group. It was an almost 4-hour program, including dance, worship, drama, and the message of Christmas.

  • Sak Saum, our program for at-risk and trafficked women, performed a beautiful skit, song, and dance telling of how God has brought them out of dark and difficult situations into a place of hope and new life.

  • Our intern Daniel and some of the young men in his breakdance class debuted their new dance group, “Souljuz Crew”. It was exciting for their friends and family to see them use their talent and new skills to glorify God. Interest in his class is growing and now many more youth in the area are signing up!

  • Solomon and a group of youth led a time of worship, and the youth also performed a dance.
  • Children sponsored by our Loaves and Fish program danced, and some also participated with other youth in a drama telling the story of Jesus’ birth.
  • Following the drama, Eric and Pastor Pheaktra spoke, sharing the significance of Jesus’ birth and the meaning of Christmas.
  • Through a free prize draw, we gave away 2 bicycles, 5 moto helmets, 22 cases of noodles, 2 electric fans, 3 small gas stoves, 5 water filters, 2 rice pots, 50 tee shirts, 20 sarongs, Sak Saum bags, and more! This was a great blessing to the community. Many of the prizes went to children, which very exciting!
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Although we have done other Christmas events in the past, this year’s outreach was by far the largest event In His Steps has ever hosted. We invited 2,000 people, and over 1,800 attended! People in Saang have never seen such a large event, and are still talking about all that happened. We invited local government leaders, and were excited that many of them came. They seemed very impressed with the program and what we are doing in the community.

Our staff and volunteers all did a great job making sure that things ran smoothly. Many members of our youth group volunteered as ushers, parking attendants, and security guards. We know that our efforts were blessed: throughout the day there were no disturbances, thefts, or injuries! This is incredible, considering the number of people who attended. We were amazed by the success of the program and God’s faithfulness to the people of Cambodia as he uses us to minister to them. Please pray that the message of hope they heard will touch their hearts and lead to more salvations and transformed lives in the community!

Happy Holidays,

In His Steps